Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Novoshakhtinsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Novoshakhtinsk

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,026 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,542 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,057 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 30% more than Novoshakhtinsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Novoshakhtinsk are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Novoshakhtinsk 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$9.43 ₽790

38.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$36.93 ₽3,093

25.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$6.08 ₽509

107.07%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.59 ₽217

54.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.11 ₽93.3

27.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.52 ₽43.78

55.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.86 ₽156

63.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.88 ₽241

136.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.17 ₽98.1

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.72 ₽60.1

208.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.38 ₽115

24.64%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.58 ₽132

71.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$10.82 ₽906

-13.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$5.20 ₽436

70.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$10.03 ₽840

27.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.73 ₽145

80.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.84 ₽154

-15.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.85 ₽155

16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$2.86 ₽240

-17.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.84 ₽70.5

140.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.64 ₽53.7

210.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.34 ₽113

-7.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.69 ₽58.2

72.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.89 ₽242

60.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$7.31 ₽612

43.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$0.98 ₽82.3

61.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.01 ₽168

45.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.46 ₽38.88

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$21.80 ₽1,826

36.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$2.18 ₽183

144.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.41 ₽34.07

807.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$5.36 ₽449

7.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.85 ₽71.0

82.35%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$31.0K ₽2.6M

-27.83%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$30.7K ₽2.6M

-16.81%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$89.3 MX$1,513

$115 ₽9,661

-22.61%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.30 MX$395

$6.20 ₽519

275.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$8.53 ₽714

271.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$36.21 ₽3,032

89.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$5.33 ₽446

-5.07%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$222 MX$3,765

$300 ₽25.2K

-26.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$6,960 ₽582.8K

-38.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$61.7 ₽5,169

-25.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$46.27 ₽3,875

-3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$108 ₽9,005

-11.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$102 ₽8,532

-9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$446 ₽37.4K

139.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$318 ₽26.6K

23.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$793 ₽66.4K

150.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$550 ₽46.1K

137.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,115 ₽177.1K

90.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,475 ₽123.5K

349.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

21.33

-45.62%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Novoshakhtinsk: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $446 in Novoshakhtinsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Novoshakhtinsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $202 – making Novoshakhtinsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Novoshakhtinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 30%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,539 in Novoshakhtinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novoshakhtinsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Novoshakhtinsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $222 per month in Playa del Carmen and $300 in Novoshakhtinsk. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novoshakhtinsk, where all-in costs run around $1,026, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Novoshakhtinsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novoshakhtinsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Novoshakhtinsk. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.